Aditya Pancholi claims he was threatened with a rape case, submits video

Day after mid-day reported that police are investigating him following a complaint of 'assault and exploitation', Aditya Pancholi shares what he claims are threats against him

Aditya Pancholi. Pic/AFP

DAYS after investigations were opened into an A-list actor's complaint against actor Aditya Pancholi, accusing him of sexually exploiting her 13 years ago, he has shared a video with mid-day in which the actor's lawyer is supposedly seen discussing the case with Pancholi and his wife Zarina Wahab. Pancholi, who had earlier claimed being threatened with a rape case by the lawyer, has submitted the video to the police as well.

PANCHOLI shared a five minute 50-second recording of the 18-minute conversation he and his wife Zarina Wahab had with the actor's lawyer on January 6 [see: 'This is bigger than #MeToo]. The lawyer, who knows Pancholi socially, had asked to meet him. During their meeting, the defamation cases Pancholi has filed against the actor were discussed, which is when the case the actor's sister ended up filing against Pancholi came up.

Pancholi claims he was threatened by the lawyer. He has shared the videos with the Versova police along with a written complaint on May 11 against the actor and her sister. He stated in the complaint, "After I filed a case against [the actor and her sister] before the honourable metropolitan magistrate's 44th court in Andheri, they were summoned but they failed to appear. They are using various pressure tactics so that I withdraw all four cases I've filed two years ago. Now, a false, fabricated afterthought has been filed which is a tissue of lies [sic] after 14 years."

Referring to the tape he shared with mid-day, Pancholi said, "This is the truth. These kind of allegations are being made against me with mala fide intentions to malign my image for personal gain. Now, the truth is out there. Let the law take its course. I'm sure I'll get justice."

"When the meeting concluded, he clearly hinted that I should withdrew all of my criminal defamation cases against his client or else there will be a rape case against me, but I didn't listen to him. Thus, as the lawyer mentioned in the video, the actor's sister filed the complaint against me in March," he added.

To prove the authenticity of the video, Pancholi has also shared a certificate from a private agency which has verified the video. Speaking about the development, a police officer said, "We are looking into all the aspects." mid-day reached out to the actor's sister, but she remained unavailable for comment. Their lawyer, meanwhile, refused to comment.

'This is bigger than #MeToo'

Lawyer: So, there was Aditya bhai's pressure. She [the actor] was upset because she felt she had been wronged. On top of that, she said he is troubling me and putting pressure on me. If he continues to bait the law like this, I will also do the same, she said, adding, I will also file a case against him, whatever case it may be.

Wahab: Which case?

Lawyer: I told him about it - a rape case. Yes, a rape case, meaning Aditya bhai raped her. That theirs was a forced relationship, which falls under the definition of rape...She claims it was forced, she was pressured and assaulted and how incidents have been reported in the media as well. Anyway, I don't want to get into that.

Pancholi: No, who is saying all of this to you? The actor or her sister?

Lawyer: Whatever case will be filed will be through the sister... They are going in a different direction. This is another kind of #MeToo altogether. It would be bigger than that; than Alok Nath's case.

Pancholi: So they want to make this bigger than that?

Lawyer: This will automatically turn into a big deal, I'm telling you.[Referring to Aditya] He is a very good man and I know him personally, but because he's very open and vocal about whatever he does, this will backfire and I don't want that.

After speaking to the advocate for a minute, Wahab asked him: If you don't mind, could you tell me what this is exactly about?

Lawyer: I'd been speaking to [mutual friend] for some days and incidentally, because of the background she [the actor] also got disturbed. She was constantly getting messages from the police. I was getting messages and letter, asking me to get them. There must have been pressure from your side too.

Pancholi exits the room for a bit, saying: You two continue talking, I'll be back in a minute.

The lawyer continues to talk with Wahab

Lawyer: So, there was Aditya bhai's pressure. She [the actor] was upset because she felt she had been wronged. On top of that, she said he is troubling me and putting pressure on me. If he continues to bait the law like this, I will also do the same, she said, adding, I will also file a case against him, whatever case it may be.

Wahab: Which case?

Lawyer: I told him about it - a rape case. Yes, a rape case, meaning Aditya bhai raped her. That theirs was a forced relationship, which falls under the definition of rape...She claims it was forced, she was pressured and assaulted and how incidents have been reported in the media as well. Anyway, I don't want to get into that.

Pancholi, who is back, intervenes: No, who is saying all of this to you? The actor or her sister?

Lawyer: Whatever case will be filed will be through the sister... They are going in a different direction. This is another kind of #MeToo altogether. It would be bigger than that; than Alok Nath's case.

Pancholi: So they want to make this bigger than that?

Lawyer: This will automatically turn into a big deal, I'm telling you.[Referring to Aditya] He is a very good man and I know him personally, but because he's very open and vocal about whatever he does, this will backfire and I don't want that. Look, we're discussing this within four walls, but I'm a lawyer who has been practicing for the past 22 years and I am from the industry so I know what happens and to what extent such incidents can go to.You guys are celebrities. If you were a common man, nobody would have asked and it would have swiftly gone away. [Referring to Aditya] And bhai is known to be aggressive. His impression is that of someone who gets easily agitated; that anger backfires. I don't want that. I told... to speak to you. I said I know he's a nice man and I know him personally.

Pancholi: But aggression does not mean they will just rape someone.

Lawyer: You're right bhai, but this is a subject to be discussed within four walls. The world will talk rubbish.

Pancholi: Who mentioned the #MeToo angle? The actor or her sister?

Lawyer: Actually, both of them did. #MeToo is more like a casting couch. This is not #MeToo, this is beyond that.

Pancholi: Then what is this?

Lawyer: This is a rape case.

Pancholi: Achha

Lawyer: This is not #MeToo, this is a rape case. #MeToo is not as big a deal. This is a proper rape case. Any kind of forceful relation is rape.

Pancholi: What is this?

Lawyer: This is Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code, which is rape.

Pancholi: Who will file this case, she or her sister?

Lawyer: Her sister. Aditya bhai is my friend and I keep meeting him. This is a small matter which is heading in a completely different direction. This will boil down to her being adamant. The actor feels that she has been wronged. Don't quote her, this is what I feel...she feels whatever you know was according to me as I have said this on television.

You must have felt bad about being maligned like this because you are a family man. It is obvious that you felt bad; four defamation cases have been filed. When the police began pressuring her, she got angry and said what wrong have I done and why would I go to the police, the way any person would think about such a situation. A lawyer and a common man think differently. She feels if you continue to bait the law like this, she will also do the same.

This will automatically backfire, I'm telling you. [Referring to Aditya] He's a very good man and I know him personally. But because he's very open and vocal about whatever he does, it will backfire and I don't want that.

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